Bihar Congress leaders meet Lalu Prasad, extend support

Patna, July 8 (IANS) At a time when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and JD-U have maintained a studied silence over CBI raids on RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his family, the state Congress on Saturday came forward to fully support him.

Three top Congress leaders from Bihar met Lalu Prasad, a former Railway Minister and state Chief Minister at his official residence here, which the Central Bureau of Investigation raided a day earlier.

Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee President Ashok Choudhary, Bihar Minister Awadesh Singh and former assembly Speaker Sadanand Singh also held a closed door meeting with the beleaguered Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, and announced that the Congress is with him.

“The Congress is with Lalu Prasad and the RJD because the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government has been conspiring to bulldoze secular parties,” said Choudhary, who is also the Bihar Education Minister in the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance government.

He said: “He (Narendra Modi) has become the Prime Minister after killing thousands. What can we expect from him? We are ready for the fight.”

“Who is (BJP chief) Amit Shah? He was once externed from Gujarat, but has now become powerful and is using the CBI. We will expose him in public,” Choudhary added.

“We are with Lalu. We understand this conspiracy by the BJP,” Sadanand said.

Interestingly, Janata Dal-United President Nitish Kumar is camping in Rajgir in Nalanda district, about 100 km from here, since Thursday.

The Chief Minister is yet to break his silence on the CBI raids at Lalu Prasad and his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi’s official residence here and other places.

Similarly, JD-U spokespersons are also keeping a distance from the media and have not reacted to the raids.

According to JD-U leaders, Nitish Kumar is busy visiting different tourist places in Rajgir.